


Gypsies, Trust and Theives.

by clgfanfic



Category: Alias Smith and Jones
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-29
Updated: 2012-10-29
Packaged: 2017-11-17 06:33:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/548646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clgfanfic/pseuds/clgfanfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Heyes and the Kid get separated and things good poorly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gypsies, Trust and Theives.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published in the zine Alias Heyes & Curry #1 and then later in Compadres #19 under the pen name Shiloh. Follows Layover in Paradise.

          Jed "Kid" Curry's eyes opened slowly in response to the distant persistent light, growing gradually brighter.  Then it was too bright, and he squeezed them shut again.  Words eventually filtered past what sounded like a nearby waterfall.

          "I think he's coming around, Doc."

          "Son, can you hear me?"

          "Nugh," Curry slurred.

          "Open your eyes, son."

          He wanted to oblige, but they were stuck closed.  Cold water solved the problem and the blond ex-outlaw managed to not only open his eyes, but he made it to a half-seated position before his strength deserted him and he fell back into the supporting arms of a young man.

          "Scottie, hold him there while I get the smelling salts."

          _Where the hell am I?_ Curry wondered.  He concentrated on trying to focus on the unfamiliar wall across the room, but a large shape obscured the broken patterns that had caught his attention.

          "Arugh," Curry moaned when the doctor waved the smelling salts under his nose.  He coughed, then grimaced at the stab of pain it sent through his head.  "That's awful."

          "I won't argue, but it works," the older gentleman said.  "I'm Doc Tolbert.  That stage you were in took a tumble at Sliderock Ridge.  Be glad a bump on the noggin's all you have to worry about."

          Curry looked around the small room, his head pounding again from the effort.  "The other passengers?"

          "They're still bringing them in," the young man said, easing the ex-outlaw back onto the narrow bed.  "You have a nasty cut on your head, and with all the blood I guess the men thought they better bring you in first."

          "That's right, along with an egg-sized lump, so you just lay right back down and be still and rest," Dr. Tolbert instructed.  "I've got to see to the other passengers."

          Curry tried to protest, but the rushing blackness covering his vision stole away his words as well.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          "So, you really think this Mr. Plower is going to give us the job?"

          Hannibal Heyes looked up at his cousin, wondering how many times the Kid was going to ask the same question before the stage reached Truckee.  He figured the odds were at least even that it would be at least three more, minimum.

          "As I've told you before, several times. . ."  He glanced at Mrs. Rutgers, who smiled slightly at his predicament.  "Mr. Plower said he needed two enterprising young men to scout out some of the high meadows so he could place bids on the best sections for his cattle."

          "You two boys look plenty enterprising to me," Mr. Rutgers added.

          "Thank you, sir."  Heyes inclined his head toward Curry.  "My friend here gets nervous when we take work for someone we've never met – especially when it pays well and sounds like it won't be too hard on the back."

          "I can see how that might be a bit unsettling," Mr. Rutgers agreed.  "I do quite a bit of business with men I've never met, and I generally find they're like any other group of folks – some good, some not so good, and some just downright pesky."

          "Oh?  What line of business are you in, sir?" Curry asked, happy to turn the conversation away from himself.  The Rutgers were amiable enough folk.  In their late-fifties, the couple still had an air of adventure and courtship about them.

          "Well, it might not sound too exciting, but I set up libraries."

          "Really?" Heyes asked, his interest climbing.  He was sure the man was a retired banker, or perhaps a retired land agent.

          "Yes.  You see, my family is from back East and they've been very active in education for a long while.  I came west as a young man, the gold rush, you know.  As I grew older, one of the things that kept pounding at me was the lack of books in the West. I made arrangements, through my family, and several publishers in the East, and now I spend my time going to towns and starting libraries, or reading rooms for the local citizens."

          "I suppose you assist your husband, Mrs. Rutgers?" Curry asked.

          "Well, yes, some of the time, but I also write for the ladies' magazines that publish in the East.  I'm afraid I'm one of those 'scribbling women,'" she paused to chuckle.   "You see, the West is still very daring for some of the eastern ladies."

          Mrs. Rutgers turned to the other woman who sat in the stagecoach with them. "Have you ever read any of my articles perhaps, Mrs….?"

          The young woman's cheeks turned a dusky rose color beneath the lose strands of her auburn hair.  "Miss, Miss Mallery.  You can call me Molly."  She looked away, waiting for the usual scorn that came with the reactions to an unmarried woman in her obvious condition.

          "Molly," Heyes said, nodding.

          "Ma'am," Curry and Mr. Rutgers chorused.  The final passenger continued snoring beneath the brim of his hat.

          "Have you ever seen a Goody's?" Mrs. Rutgers asked.

          "No, ma'am, I guess I haven't.  I haven't got a lot of schooling; didn't finish the grades…"  She paused, then added by way of explanation, "They needed me to help with the little ones.  Mama wasn't a strong woman and the boys all helped papa in the fields."

          "Are you going to Truckee?" Heyes asked.

          "Yes.  I'm goin' to go live with my aunt.  My beau, Christopher, he got killed a week before our weddin' day, and now…"  She looked down at her swollen abdomen. "…well, Papa thought it best if'n I left.  He didn't want the younger children 'round me no more, less they take to sinnin', too."

          "How perfectly awful," Mrs. Rutgers said, the two women falling into quiet conversation.

          Curry turned his attention to the passing countryside and Heyes and Mr. Rutgers to their books.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          "Mister?  Mister, come on.  Wake up.  I need to talk to you."

          Curry opened his eyes and stared into green eyes, sandy hair, and freckles.  "Wha—?"

          "It's okay, it's just me, Scottie.  The Doc is still busy, but he wanted me to see if you remember who all was on the stage with you.  We want to make sure we found everyone."

          The ex-outlaw nodded and closed his eyes again, trying to concentrate over the pounding throbs that bounced from temple to temple.

          "There was me and my friend, Mr. Smith… Mrs. Rutgers and her husband… a young woman, Molly, I think she said… the driver… and two other men.  I didn't get their names."

          "Two other men?  You're sure?" the boy asked.

          Curry thought about it for a moment before he nodded.  "Yeah, I'm sure.  There was two men.  One was sleepin' inside the coach and the other sat up with the driver.  Think they knew each other."

          "Okay, go on back to sleep.  I'll tell the Doc."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Curry watched the pine-covered hills fall away on one side of the road.  The view was magnificent.  The Sierra Nevadas rolled across the horizon, coated in green.  He turned to get Heyes' attention when the rumble started.  At first he thought it was thunder, but when the horses screamed he knew it was much worse.

          The stage skidded across the dirt road, the wheels catching on the rough edge and tipping over the side.  Molly screamed, grabbing for the nearest support, which happened to be Heyes.  The dark-haired outlaw looked up at his cousin just as the coach began to roll down the hill.

          Closest to the door, the Kid was thrown out as they fell.  He watched the stage continue further down the slope, an occasional body thrown from the inside as the wood and canvas tore apart on the rocky hillside.

          "Heyes?" the blond called weakly as he fainted.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          "G'morning," Scottie said.

          Curry rolled over and pushed himself up so he could look around the small house better.  Several blankets were hung up, cutting off sections of the room.  The blond rubbed the back of his neck and decided that seated was as far as he was getting for the time being.

          "You feelin' better?"

          "I think so, but someone's still using a hammer on the inside of my head."

          The boy nodded.  "Doc says that'll last for a few days, most likely."

          "How are the rest of the passengers?"

          "Well, Mr. and Mrs. Rutgers are going to be fine.  Molly has a healthy baby boy to take her mind off the bruises, cuts and sprained ankle, but she'll be fine in a couple of days.  The driver didn't make it—"

          "Scott, would you go fill the water bucket for me?" the doctor interrupted as he joined them.

          "What about my friend?"

          The doctor frowned slightly.  "Tell me again who was on the stage."

          "Look, I told the boy."

          "I know, but indulge an old man."

          "Me, my friend, the Rutgers, Molly, the driver and two other men whose names I didn't hear.  Why?  How's Joshua?"

          The man rubbed his face, the stubble revealing the fact that he hadn't had time to shave for the last two days.  "Well, I hate to be the one to tell you, but someone's missing."

          "Missing?  What about the others?"

          "They found two men and the driver, who was carrying identification.  The other two are dead.  We don't know who they are.  We're waiting on a telegram from the depot to get their names."

          Curry paled and the doctor stepped up to steady the young man with a comforting hand on his shoulder.  "I want to see the bodies."

          "Son, I don't think you're up to it just yet."

          "I said, I want to see the bodies.  Where are they?"

          "The undertaker's."  He studied the Kid's blue eyes.  There would be no talking him out of it.  "I'll have Scottie help you over.  Go slow, or he'll be picking you up off the street."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Curry hesitated, unable to force his feet to carry him the final steps to the two half-open coffins.  He drew in a deep breath and released it slowly.

          _Come on_ , he encouraged himself, _get it over with_.

          Taking a second deep breath, he held it and stepped forward.  Looking down at the first man, Curry recognized him as the snoring man from the coach.  Half the held breath escaped.  He turned his head.  A young, sandy-haired man lay in the second coffin.  The remaining air hissed through his teeth.

          "You okay?"

          "Huh?"

          "You all right?" Scottie repeated.

          "Yeah.  These are the two strangers.  Joshua isn't here."

          Scottie nodded, stepping up to help Curry back to the doctor's.  It was the longest walk the Kid could remember making.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Hannibal Heyes forced his eyes open.  Looking past the tangle of brush growing over the lip of the shallow gully above him, he could hear a soft moaning.  The ex-outlaw pressed his hands against the rough, dry ground and tried to force himself to his hands and knees.  His arms, strangely weak, were unable to oblige.  A flash of pain cleaved through his head, causing him to faint.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          "Look Sheriff, I know you had men out there lookin', but they must've missed him.  Where could he go?"

          "Son, I've had men climbing all over that hillside since yesterday, and I'm telling you, he ain't there."

          "Then where is he?  Are there any other towns around here?  How about farms?"

          "I have men out checking that right now.  I'm sorry, son, there just isn't anything else I can do."

          "You can send someone else back out to that hillside and look again."

          The Sheriff shuffled uncomfortably.  "All right, I'll have one more search made."

          "Thank you."

          The Sheriff nodded and left Curry alone again on the porch.  Leaning back against the wall, it took the Kid several minutes before he realized he had been ordering the local lawman around.  The thought shocked him.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Heyes woke to cold darkness.  His head was pounding and chills made his movements clumsy.  This time he was able to climb slowly to his feet.  Surveying the dark hillside, he wondered where he was and why he was out in the middle of nowhere without a jacket or any other supplies.  He stumbled down the remainder of the rocky slope, reaching a seldom used wagon road.  He looked around, still trying to remember where he was and why he was there.  Nothing.

          _Wait_ , he thought, fighting to hold onto the faint trace of a word… _Truckee_.  He looked down the road.  But which way?  He let his feet carry him east, hoping it was the right direction.  The pain in his head swelled with each step.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Curry paced on the porch of Dr. Tolbert's home.  The nagging fear that Heyes had been killed keeping him anxious.  The Rutgers were both up and around now, Mrs. Rutgers spending most of her time helping Molly with the baby while Mr. Rutgers talked about books with the doctor.  The three of them would be leaving for Truckee in two days, but the ex-outlaw wasn't sure he'd be going with them.  Over the past three days he had ridden out and walked the hillside where the accident occurred, but he found no trace of Heyes.

          _Damn!_ he thought.  _What am I going to do?_   _I can't just leave here without him, but where could he be?_

          "Have you decided what you're going to do?"

          "No, no I haven't Mr. Rutgers," Curry said, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.  "I keep thinkin' I should at least go to Truckee to explain to Mr. Plower what's going on."

          Mr. Rutgers nodded.  "Maybe he wandered off and one of the locals helped him.  After a fall like that, you could certainly get your bearings confused."

          "The Sheriff had his deputies out asking about that, but no one's seen him."

          "Hmm, well, there are some isolated farms.  If he were to be off by himself, where do you think he'd go?"

          "Truckee, I guess.  I don't know where else he'd go, we're not that familiar with this area.  I suppose I'll be going with you.  That's where we were going, and I guess Joshua will head there, if he can."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Hannibal Heyes winced and opened his eyes.  He remembered wild tumbling, a woman shrieking as she clung to him, her hands ripping his shirt as she was bounced out of the stage—

          A stage!  He was on a stage!  Thrown out… hitting the ground… rolling.  He frowned.  No name came to mind when he thought of himself – no name, no past, nothing but the tumbling stage, the screams and the pain.

          He studied the interior of the wagon he was lying in.  It was large and well organized.  Horses or mules pulled it the same seldom-used trail he had been following, and he watched it pass beyond the open back flap of canvas.  The smells that permeated the wagon were unfamiliar.  _Spices?_ he wondered absently.  Broken, muted voices drifted in, their sounds equally unfamiliar.

          The pounding at the back of his head intensified and he closed his eyes, letting sleep dull the pain.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Curry sat silently as the stage rolled along toward Truckee.  The women occupied themselves with the baby, who took to the trip better than the blond had expected.  He was certainly a happy child.

          Mr. Rutgers studied the ex-outlaw over the top of his book.  He could read the Kid's unhappiness at leaving Colfax easily in the furrows across his face and in the frown. There was little else for the young man to do – beyond walking the same hillside day after day, looking for his friend.  The librarian hoped that, whatever the reason for his absence, Mr. Smith would be waiting for them in Truckee.  There was much more between the two men than either had let on, and Mr. Rutgers wondered if they were related.  What else could it be?  They seemed like very likeable, law-abiding young men.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          A moist, aromatic vapor adhered to Heyes' face and he opened his eyes.  The first thing he saw was the cup of hot liquid resting lightly against his lips.  A hand held his head.  He took a sip before he looked up into the blackest eyes he had ever seen.

          The eyes were set in a face that was both beautiful and strangely foreign.  In some ways it reminded him of Indian women he had seen from a distance, but this young woman was no Indian.  She had high cheek bones, and thick black eyebrows, which were drawn together in a concerned expression.  Dark brown skin with a hint of olive was set off by swells of thick, blue-black hair rolling down the side of her face, tumbling like a waterfall into a dark pond in her lap.  Rose-colored lips parted as she realized he was awake.

          She was the most startling woman he had ever seen.  Although he couldn't remember the name of a single woman from his past, the fact was beyond doubt.

          "Hi," he said.

          She smiled and nodded to the cup.  He drank.  The liquid was hot and sweet.  He took another drink and sighed.  The cup was empty.  Laying his head back, she quickly checked the bandages he hadn't noticed earlier.  She seemed pleased with what she saw.  When she turned to leave, he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

          "Wait," he said softly.  "Who are you?  Where am I?"

          The high forehead creased.  "Papa," she called.  The voice was clear, and deeper than he would have guessed, but it fit her.

          The wagon lurched slightly, causing him to grimace at the corresponding flash of pain at his temples.  They were joined by an older man with the same features and coloring as his daughter.  He smiled down at the ex-outlaw.

          "Well, I see you have re-joined us living."

          "Where am I?"

          "Why, you are in my wagon!"

          "And who are you?"

          "I am Julian Echieveria," he said.

          Heyes tried to roll the name over in his mind, but it became contorted and confused.

          "This is my daughter, Tia."

          "How did I get here?"

          "So many questions!"  He smiled broadly.  "Later, my friend.  For now, we must go on to reach the next camp my son has found for us.  Tonight, around the fire, we will answer your questions, after you have rested more."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Heyes leaned back against the soft cushions, carefully arranged for him and watched the people moving about the well-chosen camp.  They all possessed the same dark features and strange accents as Julian and Tia, and each busied themselves about a fire with some specific task.  There were three men, five women and two small children who ran in and out of the shadows, their eyes wide whenever they looked his direction.  He watched and listened carefully, sorting out the family ties.

          The man who had spoken to him, Julian, was the son of the old woman who also sat quietly nearby, breaking wild beans and watching Heyes through half-closed eyes that missed little, including the ex-outlaw's appreciative glances at Tia.

          Julian's wife, Mari, directed the others through the preparation of the nightly meal.  Julian and Mari had two daughters, Tia, the beautiful sprite he found hard to believe was real, and Sari.  Sari was married to Joseph, a tall, quiet man who looked as though he belonged at home in the hills, alone with his sheep, but he was obviously in love with eldest Echieveria daughter.  Unlike the other men, he wore a gun.  Something about Joseph's silent nature and the gun he wore seemed familiar, but he could do no more than acknowledge the feeling.

          Tia and Sari also had a brother, the eldest of Mari's children.  Tony was like his father, friendly and open.  His wife, Talli, though shorter than his sisters and a little more plump, was well suited for him, neither appearing without a smile.

          But it was Tia who held his interest.  Unmarried, beautiful Tia…  Why did it feel wrong to risk falling in love?  He could sense that there had been women he could have loved, but he had never allowed the feeling to grow.  It was a lonely life he had forgotten… except, there was someone… but who?

          He shook off the dark thoughts.  Why did it feel as though these people were somehow afraid of him, Heyes wondered.  He was in no condition to do any of them harm.  The slightest movement still sent waves of pain and bright spots slicing through the his consciousness and he was very content to sit quietly and just watch.

          But the longer he watched, the more he realized that something was wrong…  They were cautious.  He understood about being cautious, and a sudden foreboding sense that he might not want to remember who and what he was crept into his mind, refusing to leave.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Curry carried his gear into the hotel room and tossed it on the bed, wishing he had time to lie down before he saw Mr. Plower.  The headache was back, stronger than it had been the last few days.  Must be the trip, he decided as he headed back for the door. The cattleman should be in the dining-room, waiting.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          "Hungry?" Tia asked.

          "Yes, thank you," Heyes said, accepting a plate from her.  The stew was good, unusual, but good.  "Where are we?"

          "Near the Nevada border, in California."

          "That leaves a lot of territory," he commented, realizing he hadn't forgotten all his geography.  The thought was comforting.

          "We are about three days away from Truckee.  That's where we go.  Papa's hope is to find work in lumber mills to get money to leave again."

          "He doesn't look much like a lumberjack."

          "No, he is no lumber jack.  We are farmers, herdsmen, but few places welcome us. We keep trying."

          Heyes frowned.  "Why aren't you welcomed?"

          "They call us gypsies," she snorted.  "We are no gypsies, we are Basque."

          "Basque?"

          She smiled.  "We come from the mountains, the Pyrenees.  Beautiful, green mountains with meadows and wildflowers and white sheep dotting the hillsides."

          "Where are those?"

          "Between Spain and France."

          "Which one are you?"

          She cocked her head, causing the hair to tip out from behind her ear and fall across her shoulder and breast.

          "I mean, are you French or Spanish?"

          She smiled indulgently.  "I am Basque."

          "Tia, let the man eat!" he father called out as he walked up to join them.  "You must excuse my daughter, she is lonely for faces other than those she sees every day."

          Heyes chuckled.  "That's quite all right, I was enjoying the company.  I do have some questions I'd like answered, if you can."

          "Yes, yes, I will answer everything I can."

          "Thank you.  First off, do you happen to know who I am?"

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          They talked late into the night, Julian explaining to Heyes how they had found him wandering along the trail leading to Truckee.  He had fallen as they reached him in the wagon, and when they saw he was hurt, they stopped to help as best they could.  He had slept for three days and then laid with a fever for another two, drifting in and out of consciousness, rambling on about people and places that made no sense to them.

          The one thing they recognized was Truckee, and since they were going that way, they decided to take him along rather than risk entering a town to leave him with a doctor.

          "Why not drop me off?  There seem to be several small towns around here."

          "True," Julian nodded.  "But, they take us for gypsies, or thieves; no one trusts us.  It is sad.  We were afraid they would accuse us of harming you, perhaps of stealing your horse.  We have tried again and again to make a home in the communities in California, but they will not have us.  My sister, however, she married a Basque, Antonio Macquirreagua.  They moved to a community that has accepted the Basque, a place where they know we do not steal children or curse crops."

          "Where is that?  Truckee?"

          "No, but it is in Nevada, in a place called Paradise Valley.  We will once again farm and raise our sheep.  We will do it in peace."

          Heyes brow furrowed.  The name tickled a faraway memory.  It was familiar, comforting, but beyond those feelings it was empty of memories that he could reach.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          "Nonsense, nothing to be sorry about.  I understand, son," Mr. Plower said, extending his hand.  "It's a real shame."

          Curry accepted the extended palm and shook.  "Thank you, sir."

          "I wish you the best of luck, locating your friend.  If you do find him, and you two still need jobs, look me up.  It'll probably take me several days to locate someone else, and I wouldn't mind doubling up to get it done quicker.  Besides, I feel a little guilty about the whole thing, seeing as you were on your way up here when it happened.  Let me know if I can be of any help."

          "Thank you, sir.  There is one thing you could do.  Have your men ask around with the folks they run into."

          "Be happy to.  If we hear anything I'll have someone leave a message here at the hotel for you."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          "Then why go to Truckee?  Why not just keep moving on to Paradise?"

          "We need to restock our supplies.  That way we will be able to stay away from Reno, Virginia City, Carson City, they are all too large.  There are too many people there filled with hate.  We will travel along the mountains, then cross the desert along the Humbolt."

          Heyes nodded.  That felt familiar, too.

          "We will take you to Truckee.  Maybe there will be people there to help you?"

          "I don't know, but thank you.  I don't know why, but I have a feeling I'm supposed to be there."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          The next few days passed slowly for Heyes and the family.  The need to stay clear of the mining communities scattered across the Sierras made the trip longer than necessary.  Heyes enjoyed the time, though.  Each of the people was unique, with his or her own stories and smiles.  The frustration at not knowing who or what he was could be forgotten for a while in their company.  The headaches finally eased into nothing, joining his memories, which were as elusive as ever.  Many things he saw rubbed along shadows just beyond his grasp, and as the days wore on he grew more and more fearful of what he might find, when and if they ever returned.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Curry stalked down the boardwalk, heading for the livery.  It was time he started doing something or he would go stircrazy waiting.  He wasn't paying attention to the people who crossed in front of him until a pair of gloved hands caught hold of his arm.

          He looked up as the young woman who caught him began to speak.  His hand came up with lightening quickness to rest across her mouth.  She was a beautiful as he remembered, long thick auburn hair for the moment controlled in a single braid, large hazel eyes…  But then, all the Gillens and Grigsbys had been handsome in their own unique way.

          "Lannie, it sure is good to see you!" he said, leaning forward to kiss her discreetly on the cheek, whispering as he did, "call me Thaddeus, Thaddeus Jones."  Several people passing by smiled indulgently at the reunion.

          "The same, Thaddeus.  Is, uh…"

          "Joshua?"

          "Yes, is Joshua here with you?"

          "Say, why don't we go over to the cafe?  It's been too long.  We can get a cup of coffee and get caught up."

          "Sounds like a good idea, I understand there's a lot to tell."

          The pair walked across the street in silence, entering the hotel and heading directly for the dining room.  They took seats at a corner table, removed from the few scattered customers lingering over their breakfast.  Ordering coffee, Lannie added a piece of pie.  As soon as they were served the Kid began to explain his situation, concluding with, "So I came here, since this is where we was headed.  I figured Joshua would come too, if he could."

          "Joshua…?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow to prompt him to add a last name.

          "Smith."

          "Smith and Jones, huh?" she whispered.  "You two were real original the last time we met, what happened?"

          Curry smiled.  "I guess that's one of the things that happens when a man goes straight," he said softly.

          Lannie smiled.  "I'm here to meet a family of Basques on their way to join relatives up in the valley," she explained.  "Mrs. Macquirreagua asked if someone could help guide them up, since it can be a bit hard to find.  I'd be happy to help you look until they get here.  If you want the help, that is.  If not, I'm sure there are some trails around here I can scout on my own."

          Curry nodded.  Lannie always had been too independent for her own good.  "I'd appreciate it; I really would.  To tell you the truth, I've run out of things to do, and places to look.  This is new territory for me.  I could use the help and the company.  How's the family?  Grandma Grigsby?"

          Lannie spent the next half-hour bringing the Kid up to date on the marriages, births and deaths in the family that had adopted the two men nearly ten years earlier.

          "And you?" he asked when she finished.

          "Me?  Well, it's the same old thing."

          He doubted that.  The wildness was still there, but now it was tempered with some wisdom and depth.  Lannie might act like her brothers, but she sure looked like her sisters and she talked like Grandma Grigsby.  A perfect combination for his partner, Curry concluded.  _Why the hell aren't you here to appreciate it, Heyes?_

          "Never married?" he asked.

          "Naw, I couldn't find anyone in Paradise who would have me."

          "I find that hard to believe."

          "Why, Thaddeus, I think that was a compliment."

          "It was."

          "Thank you, then, but you ask Grandma, she'll tell you.  Besides, it was sort of hard for me to look at the cowboys up there with a romantic eye when all I could think about was a particular handsome scoundrel that we kept reading about.  You two had us a mite worried when we stopped hearing about you a couple of years back.  I suppose that's when you decided to go for the deal?"

          Curry nodded, pleased that she refrained from using words that might attract undue attention.

          "You and Joshua have sweethearts?"

          Curry reddened slightly.  "Well, there's a girl or two I'd like to see again, even one in particular if I'd admit to it.  You'd like her, you two have a lot in common."

          Lannie's eyebrow climbed slightly, but Jed looked like he had no intentions of continuing.  "And Joshua?"

          "Oh, I guess it'd be the same for him.  I'd be lying if I told you different."

          "Well, I didn't expect to have a hold on him," she said truthfully.  "We didn't get much of a chance to get to know each other after all.  I just wondered if he remembered me."

          "Don't worry about that!  I hear all the time:  'Lannie had more fire…'  You made quite an impression on him."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          The closer to Truckee the wagon rolled the more uncomfortable Heyes became.  Somehow he knew that, waiting there, was his past, a past that frightened him.  Too many dreams crowded his memory, dreams of guns, of being chased and shot at, dreams with the roar of trains and explosions.  There was a face, too, blurred and distant that floated through the images.  Although he feared reaching out to draw the image in, he also felt a deep sense of loss when it would fade away at the end of the dream.  A feeling would rise to swallow him, engulfing him like he was falling into a dark well.  The face was gone.  He was all alone.  Alone.  He woke with a half-choked cry.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Heyes watched the passing countryside, enjoying the deep greens of the pines covering the mountainsides as they rolled off into the distance.  Heyes contemplated the desert the mountains hid in the north.  From here it would be hard to believe the wastelands that lay there to the northeast.  _And to the south_ , he thought.

          _I've been in those deserts.  Nearly died there.  Abandoned?  No, not alone…  Who was with me?_

          The face.

          "Tomorrow morning we will be in Truckee," Julian said, scattering Heyes' jumbled thoughts.  The dark-haired man remained silent.  "Does that frighten you?"

          "Yes.  Yes, it does, but I don't know why."

          "Are you afraid you won't like the man you were when you find him?"

          Heyes nodded.

          "Men can change, you know.  If you don't like him, leave him behind.  This man I know is a good man.  Basques know these things.  I cannot believe the other is not."

          "Can you leave who you are behind?"

          Julian weighed the words.  "No, we cannot.  But what we carry with us is the burden of other men's fears.  If I did not like who I was as a man, I would change."

          Heyes smiled.  The old man had a flawless logic.  "The funny thing is, I also feel, well, like part of me is waiting there.  And it's a part I'm not afraid of."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          "We've done this for days now, and nothing," Curry brooded.  "Where the hell is he?"

          Lannie looked around the countryside and sighed.  The search was thorough.  They had ridden out the main road, checking with folks along the way.  Most of them expected the young man and were truly saddened when they could be of no help.  They checked the side roads into the community, the back roads, the largest outlying homesteads, the small, but no one had seen or heard of Mr. Smith.

          "What now?" she asked.

          "I don't know.  I don't know where else to go, unless I go back to Colfax and start looking there again."

          "Thaddeus, why not stay here until the folks I'm waiting for get here, and then go back to Colfax if he hasn't shown up.  In the meantime, we'll keep looking; we can start going out farther.  With two of us, we can split up and cover more ground."

          Curry looked at the woman.  She was worried, too.  He nodded.  "All right, but if they don't get here in a couple of days, I'm going on to Colfax anyway."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Heyes adjusted the black hat and sat rigid as the wagon rolled into the small but busy lumbering town of Truckee, California.  He watched the passing residents and activity, straining to find a familiar face.  Nothing.

          The fear he had keep at bay for the past few days swelled up and threatened to panic him.  A deputy walked casually down the boardwalk and he felt himself stiffen in anticipation.  Julian sensed it too.

          "You fear the law?" he asked.

          "Yes."

          "Perhaps it would be better if you did not remember then."

          "No.  I have to know.  I—"  He stopped, staring at the young woman who had stepped out into the street and started for the wagon, waving.

          "Julian?  Julian Echieveria?"  She called to the older man, but she was watching Heyes carefully from the corner of her eye, and trying to keep a huge smile off her face.

          "Yes?  Do I know you?"

          "No, but I know your sister and her husband.  I'm from Paradise Valley.  Lannie Gillen's my name.  They asked if I'd meet you and guide you back."

          "But we have no supplies, and no money to buy them.  I was going to work—"

          "Your sister sent money for you.  She also told me to tell you that you can work to pay it back in the Valley.  There's plenty of things to do up there right now, and they pay a good wage."

          Julian laughed and slapped Heyes on the back.  "You see, God is good, aye?"  He turned to Lannie.  "When will we leave?"

          "Tomorrow, if that's all right with you.  It's still a long trip."

          "Fine, fine.  I will pick up what we need now and we'll be ready."

          "You can camp just on the other side of town, along the river.  I'll be out in the morning and we can leave.  It good to have you here, Mr. Echieveria.  Welcome to Nevada, a little early.  Will you be coming, too?" she asked Heyes.

          "Uh, I— I don't know," he said.  "Do you know me?"

          Startled by the question, Lannie wasn't sure how she should answer.  At first she thought he was just being careful, but the Kid's description of the accident made it clear that Heyes had been bounced around pretty hard.  But hard enough to lose his memory?

          She chose her words carefully.  "Not as well as I'd like.  Look, why don't all of you get what you need and then meet me over at the hotel in a couple of hours for supper?"

          "Will that be all right?" Julian asked.  "I do not want to cause any trouble."

          "I think so," Lannie said.  "I know a lot of the folks here, and they're nice enough for the most part.  Try to stay away from the lumberjacks though."  She handed Julian a small leather pouch half-full of coins, then turned and left before Heyes could interrogate her further.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          "Thaddeus?" Lannie called after she knocked quietly on the door to Curry's hotel room.  There was no response.  She walked downstairs to talk to the young man working at the desk.  "Excuse me.  Did you see Mr. Jones go out?"

          "Why, yes, I did.  He left about an hour ago.  I think he was headed out to look for his friend."

          "Thank you," Lannie said, favoring him with a smile.  He blushed and glanced away.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          "Hey, get a load of that!" someone yelled as Julian, Tony and Joseph worked to load the new supplies into the back of the wagon.  The women stood on the boardwalk under the overhang with Heyes, watching.  Talli pulled the two children in closer and Heyes felt Tia tense beside him.

          Four young men walked across the street from the saloon to lean against the hitching rail, openly admiring Tia and the women.

          "Whooee, ain't she a looker!"

          Tia reddened, but she held her ground.  Julian motioned for the two boys to continue while he walked over to join the women and Heyes.  "Can I help you, gentlemen?"

          "Get on back to your business, gypsy," one of the four said.  "We're just admiring that black-haired gal you got here."

          "My daughter is not some trifle to be gawked at."

          "Yeah?  Well, in this country, men is free to do what they want.  That's the law.  And right now, I want to look at this pretty gal."

          "Come on," Heyes said quietly, ushering the women into the mercantile.

          "Hey, what'd you do that for?"

          "Come on back out here!"  Another of the men yelled.

          Julian moved over to finish heaving the last of the flour sacks into the wagon.  Two of the men stepped up on the boardwalk, Tony and Joseph stepping to block their way into the store.

          "Hey, gypsies, you best get on outta the way.  We want to go in the store, here.  You got no call to stop us."

          "Fine," Heyes said, moving up to stand in the doorway.  "You let the ladies leave, and then you can go in and look around all you want."

          "Okay, mister," a blond said, noticing Heyes' tied down colt.  "We don't want no trouble."

          Julian's mother stalked out first, glaring at the men.  "Whatcha looking at, ya old witch?" one of them asked.  She scowled, but allowed Julian to help her into the wagon in silence.  Talli and the children moved to the wagon next, accompanied by  snickers.  Sari brushed past Heyes and helped the smallest up.

          "Look at that, will ya?  She ain't too bad either."

          Heyes saw Joseph's hand twitch toward the gun he wore, but he swung up on his horse and reined in next to the wagon.  Tony did likewise.  Julian extended his hands and Tia stepped out, walking toward the wagon, her hands holding onto her father's arm.

          A loud whoop arose from the men.  Heyes bit back his mounting anger and watched as Julian helped her up onto the wagon seat.  Tia took up the reins while Julian mounted.

          "You're not leaving, are you?" one of the men said.  "Wouldn't you rather stay here with us and get better acquainted?"

          "Excuse me," Heyes said, stepping past the men as they crowed together in front of the mules.  Climbing into the wagon next to Tia, he took the reins from her and clucked the mules into a walk, causing the men to scatter.  A loud chorus of wolf calls followed them as they moved off down the street.

          "Does that happen often?" he asked.

          "Yes.  Sometimes we must live like outlaws, sneaking around towns, avoiding people on the roads…"  She trailed off.

          "I understand," Heyes told her.  "I don't how, but I do.  It's all so stupid."

          "We are not men and women to them," Julian said from his horse.  "We are closer to the animals in their eyes, and they think they can treat us like beasts, that we have no feelings or pride.  I've seen others treated the same way.  Black men, brown men, yellow men, the Indians…  It is the same for all of us.  We are animals."

          Heyes shook his head, angry.  "It's wrong."

          "Yes.  It is wrong, but it is the way it is.  Maybe one day it will change.  My sister tells me that day has come in Paradise.  I hope she is right."

          Heyes nodded.  She was, he knew it.  He didn't know how, but he did know it.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Lannie kicked her gelding into a fast gallop.  A movement in the distance had caught her attention and she rushed towards it, hoping it was Curry.  It was.  He sat on the little bay mare, rubbing the back of his hands across his eyes.  He looked up, embarrassed, as she joined him.

          "I found him."

          "What?"

          "In town.  He was with the family I was waiting for."

          Curry laughed a deep, relieved laugh.  "Leave it to Heyes to find the right folks to get him here."

          "It's not as simple as that."

          The smile faded from his face.  "What is it?  He's all right, isn't he?  Is it—?"

          "Come on, I'll explain on the way back.  We're supposed to meet them for supper."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Curry sat at the table, playing with his silverware while they waited.  Lannie watched the people as they came and left.  "I wonder where they are.  I didn't see the wagon in town either.  Maybe they went out to set up camp."

          "Let's ride out there then."

          "Julian said he'd be here, and if there's one thing I've learned about Basques, it's that they don't lie.  See," she nodded at the door as Julian entered alone and scanned the room for Lannie.  Catching her eye, he nodded somberly and walked over to join them.

          "Where's everyone else?" she asked.

          "There was trouble earlier.  I thought it safer to leave them at the camp and come myself."

          "I'm so sorry," Lannie said.  "I promise you, this will all be behind you when we get to the Valley."

          "I pray you are right.  I find I grow very tried of the hate."

          "Uh, Mister…?"

          "Echieveria," Lannie filled in.  "Julian, this is Thaddeus Jones."

          The Basque extended his hand and took Curry's in a firm clasp.  "Mr. Jones.  Are you from the Valley, too?"

          Curry shook his head.  "No, but we know a lot of the folks up there."

          "We?"

          "My partner and me.  Mr. Echieveria, Lannie tells me you have a dark-haired man with you."

          "Yes, we do," he said casually, remembering Heyes' poor association with the law.

          "Well, I think that's my partner, Joshua Smith.  Is he out at the camp, too?"

          Julian nodded.

          "Would you mind if I rode out there with you later?"

          "No, I do not mind, but I must warn you.  The man who is with us has lost his memory.  If he is your partner, he will not remember you."

          "I'll take that chance."

          Curry spent most of dinner explaining what had happened on the stage ride and the following weeks.  Julian listened with interest, filling in as much as he could.  It was clear from the details, and the time, that it was the same man.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          "Tia, I saw riders coming up along the river.  The same ones from town and three or four others," Talli whispered.

          The back-haired woman nodded.   "Get the children in the wagon, Grandma, too."  She moved off, telling Tony and Joseph the news.

          Heyes, who was leaning against a tall pine, trying to force his way past the blocked memories to discover why the woman from town looked so familiar and didn't notice the commotion until Tia knelt in front of him and spoke.

          "There are men coming."

          He scrambled to his feet.  Checking to make sure the women and children were safe in the wagon, he moved off to join the other two men.  Tia, Sari and Talli silently loaded the old rifles and waited.

          "They will be here soon, if we're the ones they are looking for," Joseph said.

          Heyes studied the intense black eyes.  "What're you saying?"

          "Just that this morning, when those men were at the store, two of them were watching you as closely as the others were watching my sister-in-law.  Why was that?"

          "I don't know," Heyes replied honestly.

          "It doesn't matter," Tony said sternly.  "This man has not hurt us.  Whatever these men want, we will not give it to them."

          Heyes looked around the camp.  "Tony, you stay here, talk to them.  Try to find out exactly what they want.  Joseph and I will cover you from the trees."

          Julian's son nodded and watched the two disappear into the pines.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          The riders fanned out and rode into the camp.  Tony stood next to the fire, his rifle held ready, but pointed safely at the ground.  "Can I help you?"

          "Yeah, gypsy, you can.  We came for the man who was with you this morning."

          "He's not in our camp."

          "Liar.  We followed all of you out here.  Where is he?"

          Tony shrugged.

          "Listen, son," another of the men said.  "We only want that man, but if you don't help us, we might take a mind to look around for other things in this camp that might… interest us."

          Heyes trembled slightly as he listened to the exchange.  Those men spoke about him as though he were a prize fair animal.  A disregard for him as a man rang through their words, reminding him of the tone they had taken with the family earlier.

          "What has this man done?  Why do you want him?"

          "Now, that's no concern of yours, gypsy," one of the men said.  "You just go get him."

          Tony stood firm, unwilling to be moved off by their threats.

          Heyes knew he was going to have to turn himself over to them, or someone would end up getting killed.  The thought, although frightening, was also comforting, as if a long carried burden was being lifted from his shoulders.

          Heyes rested the rifle he held on his shoulder and stepped out from the trees.  "You gentlemen wanted to see me?"

          The men stared at Heyes, two shifting their guns to cover him.  "That's right.  You come with us peacefully, we'll see you get to the sheriff's alive.  There's no reason for anyone to get hurt, but if you push it to a fight, we'll fight."

          Heyes looked at the speakers face; their resolution was undeniable.  All the dread of the past days seemed well founded.  Whatever he had been, he knew he couldn't do anything now that might get the women and children hurt.  He lowered the rifle to the ground.

          "I won't fight you.  Just put your guns down.  No one needs to get hurt."

          "Take that colt out and toss it over here and we'll oblige."

          Heyes did what he asked.

          "Charlie, tie him up and get him on a horse."

          A rusty-haired man swung down off an appaloosa and walked up to Heyes.  Removing a leather strap, he quickly tied the outlaw's hands behind his back.  A second man rode over, leading a spare horse.  The two together wrestled Heyes into the saddle.

          "It's okay," Heyes told the Echieveria family as Tia, Sari and Talli left the wagon to gathered together.  "I'll be fine.  Tell your father what happened, but stay out of town.  Don't wait for me."

          Tony nodded solemnly.  "I will tell him."

          "He tied?" the main speaker asked.

          "Yep," the rust-haired man said with a nasty smile.

          The guns came up again, covering the Echieveria family.  "Now I think we'll help ourselves to the other interesting things in this here camp."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          "Hold up," Curry said, drawing up the gelding, Lannie and Julian following his lead.

          "What?" she asked.

          "Riders."

          The threesome reined the animals off the trail and into the cover of the pine shadows.  They watched in silence as the men began to swing down off their horses.  Heyes was struggling in the saddle where he was tied.  Lannie saw the tense anxiousness on Curry's face, mixed with relief.  If the odds were a little more favorable, she was sure he would have ridden in on them.

          "Julian, circle around to the other side of the camp.  Lannie and I will cover this one."

          The Basque nodded and rode off.

          "What do you plan on doing?"

          "I don't know.  They must know who Heyes is.  They'll probably take him to the sheriff when they're through."

          The men closed in on the group.  "Now, put down those guns."

          "I don't think so," Tony said.  "If you will hurt us, we will fight you as well."

          "Boy, you make us fight you and I swear we'll kill all of you – slow."

          "We do not die easily," Joseph said quietly.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          "We'll have to bluff," Curry said.

          "Odds aren't good."

          "We've got no choice," he said.

          They moved closer to the stand-off.  "You, in the camp!  Put down your guns."

          Heyes jumped at the sound of the voice from his dreams, the horse shying under him.  Colliding with an appaloosa caused both horses to squeal.  Heyes pressed the advantage and kicked the chestnut, driving her farther into the camp.  The men scattered to avoid being trampled.

          Curry fired as one of the men aimed for Heyes, catching him in the upper arm. Tony and the others scrambled for the cover offered by the wagon, Lannie providing cover fire that judiciously removed hats, but missed men and horses.  Curry grinned. She wasn't bad!

          For the next several minutes confusion, dust, lurching horses and gunshots swirled around the camp.  When it stopped, Tony, Joseph and Julian had three of the men disarmed and lying in a heap on the ground.  Lannie covered two others who had started for Heyes during the melee.  The women had another cornered next to the wagon, their rifles tickling his ribs.  The final two men were both on the ground, clutching at the wounds Curry had been forced to inflict on them.  The blond walked by, kicking guns out of reach as he made for his partner and best friend.

          Heyes felt gloved hands pulling him off  the horse and untying his hands.  At first he thought it was Julian, but once he was free, the same hands gripped his shoulders, turned him around and pulled him into a tight hug.  He felt himself returning the embrace without thinking.  The face from his dreams was finally real and the sense of abandonment was gone.

          Curry released his partner and stepped back, a little embarrassed by his display.  "You sure had me scared, partner."

          Heyes studied the blue eyes, probing their depths for a name.  "I'm sorry about that… Jed."

          Curry frowned.  Heyes never used his Christian name, but then Lannie had said that he'd lost his memory.  "You okay, Heyes?" he asked softly.

          Heyes…  The outlaw felt the world sway and he staggered slightly.

          Curry reached out to steady him with a supporting hand.  "Heyes?"

          _Heyes.  Hannibal Heyes.  That's who I am!_   The memories surged through his thoughts.  _Hannibal Heyes.  I know who I am!  We were going to Truckee to meet Mr. Plower about scouting out some high mountain meadows…  We… the Kid and me… Kid?  Kid Curry.  The Devil's Hole Gang.  Outlaws.  Banks.  Trains…  We're outlaws?  The amnesty!  No, we don't have it yet, but we're trying…  We've gone straight!  Lannie…  Paradise Valley and Grandma Grigsby…  The first time I was shot.  I remember!  I remember it all!_

          "I'm okay, Kid."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Lannie sat on her buckskin and watched as Curry nearly hovered over Heyes as the dark-haired man tied his gear down and climbed into the saddle.  A few words with Sheriff Campbell from herself and Mr. Plower and they were able to convince him that Heyes really was Mr. Joshua Smith, a relative of the Grigsbys and Gillens from Missouri.  Still, Sheriff Campbell thought it would be best if they left Truckee as soon as possible, just in case someone else should happen to make the same mistake.

          It took the Echieveria's a day to get their camp back in order and everything loaded, but they were ready to leave for the Valley, too.  It didn't take Lannie long to convince Heyes that Paradise would be the safest place for him and the Kid to rest up for the next couple of weeks.

          Both men were quick to accept her invitation.  The Kid looked forward to seeing the family again and Heyes, for the same reason, and for the additional chance to be with Lannie.

          Curry swung into his saddle and grinned over at his partner.  "Ya know, Joshua, I think this trip is goin' to turn out all right after all."

          "Yeah, Thaddeus, I think you're right.  I've learned a lot in the past month about who I really am.  I'm just sorry you had to go through it too.  There's a lot to be said for gypsies, trust and thieves.  Maybe it's time we took a closer look at the valley with an eye to settling down."

The End


End file.
